Forrest Griffin has sights set on "championship of the world"
Now that the world knows Amir Sadollah is the next "Ultimate Fighter," MMA fans' attentions have shifted to team coaches Forrest Griffin (15-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (28-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and their July 5 title fight at UFC 86.
While a guest on The Lights Out Show on the TAGG Radio Network (
www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com), Griffin discussed his plan for taking Jackson's UFC light-heavyweight title.
"It sounds better when you say 'championship of the world,'" Griffin joked. "I like that."
However one refers to the belt, it is safe to assume Griffin will enter the bout as the decided underdog. That's just fine for the soon-to-be-29-year-old.
"I prefer being an underdog," Griffin said. "But I (also) prefer to go out second. Usually when you're the underdog you have to go out first. So if I just win that belt, then I could always come out second."
The Georgia native had plenty of face time with his upcoming opponent earlier this year while filming "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest." Griffin said, though the fighters knew they would eventually square off, the tensions between the two stayed at a minimum.
"I'd prefer not to see a guy until we step into the cage, personally, with any opponent," Griffin said. "But we were kind of far out (from our fight). We weren't really training specifically for each other. So, it wasn't that bad."
The winner of the original season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Griffin said that the two coaches' competitive nature did cause a few outbursts between the light heavyweights.
"It's funny; nobody likes to lose," Griffin said. "And one thing I've never wanted to be in my life is a good loser. I had little temper tantrums, and he had rampages, and we got kind of uppity with each other a couple times. It's just (that) I like to win, and apparently he does, too. Imagine that."
Despite the proximity to the title-holder, Griffin said he learned relatively little about Jackson during the filming process. But Griffin feels that knowledge is unnecessary anyway.
"My opinion, I don't worry about the other guy's house," Griffin explained. "I get myself in order, and whatever he does is him. I don't care if he's running on the moon. I don't care if he's not training at all. What he does doesn't matter.
"There's two things you've got to do. You've got to work every day as hard as you can to do everything you can in your power to win the fight -- just do everything in your power to win the fight. It's kind of like the prayer that the alcoholics say. Control everything in your power and leave the rest up to God or Yahweh or whoever you happen to believe in. The rest is the rest. I don't worry about it."
What Griffin does worry about is preparing a game plan that will propel him from an obscure Georgia law enforcement officer to the "champion of the world" in three short years. Griffin shared that plan in typical-for-him fashion.
"I was recently watching 'The Bourne Identity,' and I decided that is the style I need to do," he said. "Whatever you call that, that's what I'm doing."
Griffin also shared insight into his time as a police officer, as well as his feelings on the weight-cutting issues that have recently become prevalent within the sport.
